Leona Philippo

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Leona Philippo is a Canadian-born Dutch singer and songwriter, known for winning The Voice of Holland season 3 in 2012. She was born on September 6, 1979, in Guelph, Ontario, and has Jamaican roots. She moved to the Netherlands with her adoptive family at age six and learned piano from a young age.

Her career spans stage, TV, and studio work. She sang with the R&B group Sat-R-Day, then joined the band Nits as a vocalist and toured Europe and Japan. She appeared in musical productions such as Aida (2001), and took part in other shows and tributes. She’s also done backing vocals for artists like Trijntje Oosterhuis and Candy Dulfer, and performed with Lionel Richie in 2008.

In The Voice of Holland, she sang “Mesmerized” in the blind auditions, joined Team Trijntje, and won the final with 54.6% of the vote. After the show, she signed with 8ball Music and released her winning song, a Bob Marley cover of “Could You Be Loved,” which reached high on Dutch charts.